Announced the agreement for cooperation with the Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO, the Ministry of Education, and the Department of Environment
The Environmental Commissioner, Antonia Theodosiou, emphasized the importance of the inclusion of Cypriot communities in the Biosphere Reserves of UNESCO in relation to the promotion for inclusion in the reserves of the Diarizos Valleys – Xeropotamou as the first region in Cyprus to do so.
Ms. Theodosiou was speaking at the conference “From Local to Global Protection”, held on Saturday.
“The effort in this direction, the path towards sustainable development and the protection of the region, is already one of the main priorities of my Office, and which is consistent with and represents the goals and the Governance Program of the President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides” , mentioned in her speech Ms. Theodosius. The Commissioner announced the agreement for cooperation with the Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO, the Ministry of Education, and the Department of the Environment.
She explained that the UNESCO Biosphere Reservespromote economic development, cultural and environmental sustainability, and biodiversity protection. These, he said, include areas of significant biodiversity and communities keen to combine the protection of ecosystems with their sustainable use. A necessary condition for an area to be declared a Biosphere Reserve is that part of the area is under legal protection, as is the case in the Diarizos-Xeropotamos Valleys with areas included in the Natura 2000 Network.
“An area is not simply declared as a Biosphere Reserve,” emphasized Mrs. Theodosiou. “For its inclusion, specific steps and actions are required, both at a practical level and at the level of commitment of local communities as well as support from the State and other agencies”, he said.
As he explained, the integration process begins with consulting with local communities and conducting research in areas of high ecological and cultural value. Following is the drafting of a dossier evaluated by the International Advisory Committee and the International Coordinating Board of the Man and Biosphere Program.
He noted that the benefits for areas designated as Biosphere Reserves are multiple, such as international recognition and development of local actions strengthen the economy and culture, while providing the possibility of promoting local products and services in a global network.
“Nature can shield us against the climate crisis only if we protect and strengthen it,” concluded the Environment Commissioner.
